Stories from My Backyard: On the Trail of a Cat

 I confess my cat Kili is quite fascinating. I find myself just staring at him in awe. He is so perfect. (I mean that unironically).

Accepting his many scars, he is perfect. His little nose is adorable and the way that he yawns makes me laugh. It goes from a cute little ‘o’ shape to a gaping lion’s mouth in seconds.

This evening, I took the liberty to follow him on his nightly prowl. My sister and I stand in the grass and watch as he cautiously crosses the street. Soon, he is in the neighbor’s bushes. We watch as he continues on his journey, traveling through a large field. He stops every so often to *cough* mark his territory, and then the prowl resumes. We follow him until he notices us. He blinks, annoyingly unconcerned, and saunters off.

Kili creeps around the side of an old shed and walks behind it. He makes his way into an open part of the grass and sits down to groom himself. Kili leaps in the air as a nearby generator turns on. He walks hurriedly off, glancing over his shoulder, and glares at the generator every so often. I coo at him, trying to comfort but he shakes my hand off and quickens his pace.

By then, my brother has made his way over to us and all three of us silently observe the cat. A feeling of respect creeps over me. Does Kili do this every night? Patrol his area? ‘Mark’ his borders? Stare hungrily at unsuspecting rabbits?

I marvel at the exciting nights he must have, wandering the area and perhaps meeting up with other feline friends.

I feel slightly jealous. To be a cat, I think, to be a cat.